Editor's note: This is the third and final part of a series that examines what it takes to become an athlete in the Ivy League. This story focuses on the admissions process.
Before he was even aware that Dartmouth was a school, Michal Jablonski '09 knew of Dartmouth as a place to ski. Competing in ski races from an early age, Jablonski got his first introduction to the College at the Dartmouth Skiway.
"The strong ski program and the strong academics are what attracts the best skiers to Dartmouth," Jablonski, a member of Dartmouth's ski team, said. "There is a limited number of Division I schools that you can ski for, and Dartmouth is one of the best schools academically."
As collegiate sports become increasingly high-profile, with multi-million dollar athletic facilities and major-conference athletes achieving near-celebrity status, coaches and administrators at Dartmouth find it increasingly difficult to attract potential athletic recruits away from the financial benefits that other Division I schools offer.
"The number of high school students that have the ability to become Division I athletes, that can also compete academically at Dartmouth is pretty small," Karl Furstenberg, dean of admissions at Dartmouth, said. "When you combine that with competition with schools which offer scholarships, the number of eligible students dwindles."
Some coaches also feel that the applicant pool from which they can choose their teams is small.
"It can be quite difficult for us to attract suitable candidates, in fact it is the norm, because they might not meet Dartmouth requirements," squash coach John Powers said.
"Admittedly squash might not have the same priority with recruits for basketball or women's lacrosse or football," Powers continued. "Some of the more high-profile sports might have a higher priority than squash and we understand that and that can be frustrating."
Although many athletes get their initial exposure to Dartmouth at a young age, and coaches learn of potential recruits through national rankings, tournaments, summer sports camps and videos sent by the students themselves, the athletic recruiting process does not officially begin until a student is in his or her junior year in high school. The NCAA prohibits coaches from calling potential recruits until the summer before their senior year in high school.
"The guy who recruits in Florida came to my school and watched game film and then took it back to campus. The head coach liked it and came down and talked to my family after," said Peter Pidermann '10, a member of the football and track and field teams.
Coaches identify potential recruits based on a combination of their athletic abilities and their academic merits. Recruits are then invited to campus. NCAA regulations allow recruits to make one official visit each to up to five schools. It is often on this visit that prospective athletes become convinced that Dartmouth is the right choice.
"I went on my official visit here and had an amazing time and called my mom from the airport and was like, 'This is where I want to go,'" Sarah Newnam '09, a member of the women's hockey team, said.
Recruited athletes who decide on Dartmouth go through the same application process as non-athlete applicants, a marked contrast from other Division I schools. Coaches submit a list of recommended recruits to the Office of Admissions. This does not, however, guarantee admission for those students.
"No matter what evaluation tool a coach uses, it is their evaluation that the admissions office relies upon when making their decision," Bob Ceplikas, associate director of athletics, said.
"We send them a list of our priority athletes because there is no way for the admissions office to know about the athletic talent of any student," women's basketball coach Chris Wielgus said.
According to Athletic Director Josie Harper, the number of athletic recruits varies by sport and by year, in accordance with the size of the program and the number of departing seniors.
"The number of recruits is going to vary, for the men between three and seven [per year,] and for the women between about five and nine," men's and women's swimming coach Jim Wilson said.
Harvard has 35 swimmers on it's roster, along with a pair of divers, while Princeton counts 56 members of its swimming and diving team.
Most student-athletes are attracted to the school because of its reputation for excellence in academics.
"Dartmouth was the only school I wanted to go to, the combination of the ski team and the academic prestige is pretty much unmatchable anywhere else in the country," Tyler Luthringer '10 said. "Plus the team was so together. It was something I couldn't help but want to be a part of."
